Also read: Gyrating hormones causing some women to hit menopause before 40Researchers conducted an online survey of 450 women in the US aged 20 to 60, of which 308 were pre-menopausal and 144 were post-menopausal.
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Spring-boarding on the hunch that low sexual desire is a common yet underreported occurrence in both pre- and post-menopausal women, researchers in New York found that women are not always aware that solutions exist.
Over 90% of survey respondents said they would like to have sex more often and 95% said that just one or two more sexual experiences per month would improve their quality of life.
Despite the high levels of distress reported concerning self-image and interpersonal relationships, 72% of pre-menopausal women and 67% of post-menopausal women reported not seeking help, either because they were not aware that solutions exist, or because they were not aware that healthcare professionals would consider it a problem.
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The study was published in the Journal of Women's Health.
Susan G Kornstein, MD, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Women's Health, said the study points to the importance of recognizing female sexual function "as an integral part of health and well-being."
